


Talk

by flootzavut



Series: Lie to NCIS [31]
Category: Lie to Me (TV), NCIS
Genre: Angst, Awesome Foursome, Crossover, F/F, Fluff, Foursome, GxK, Humour, JxK, Kate Lives, Kibbs, Lie to NCIS, foursomeverse, queer
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-06
Updated: 2017-04-06
Packaged: 2018-10-15 09:42:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,390
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10554190
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/flootzavut/pseuds/flootzavut
Summary: Kate and Gillian finally talk about going back to 'just friends'.Crib notes for the fandom blindhere.





	

**Author's Note:**

> I imagine regular readers are sick to the back teeth of my crib notes, so I'll just reiterate that they're available [here](http://archiveofourown.org/series/334084).

* * *

_**Talk** _

* * *

 

Gillian's really not used to feeling awkward around Kate of all people, and she hates it. They've spent so much time together over the last few months, she knows Kate's body as well as she's ever known anyone's, she knows Kate's sense of humour, they've cried and laughed together, they've been friends and confidantes and lovers, and there's no way sitting together on her couch should feel awkward.

Except it does.

It started the moment Kate arrived for their regular movie night and they kissed in greeting without thinking twice, then remembered the boyfriends who are watching a game together at Cal's house and broke apart guiltily, avoiding each other's eyes.

If someone else came to Gill with this problem, either in her capacity as psychologist or as a friend, she'd be telling them to communicate, to talk about it, not to pretend everything's okay and hope it'll magically resolve itself, but it would be easier advice to take if she knew where to even start. They were friends from the beginning, became more unexpectedly but so naturally. Awkwardness is so unfamiliar and wrong between them. It's a conversation which would be difficult with anyone, but with Kate it seems downright impossible.

Gillian's trying to concentrate on the screen instead of chewing the inside of her cheek in frustration, but she's not doing a very good job of it.

It's not a bad film. They probably wouldn't have ended up making out instead of watching it, but they definitely would've been snuggled up cosily in one corner of the couch, chatting and laughing, not sitting at either end of it in stiff and uncomfortable silence. She can't help thinking she's not much of a therapist if she can't find the right way forward when it comes to mending a friendship that's so important to her.

There's tension coming off Kate in waves, and Gill can't decide if it's good, and means Kate cares enough to dislike the current status quo as much as Gill does, or bad - because it's a sign it's going to be impossible to get back to any kind of normalcy.

The small voice of sanity in the back of her mind is counselling her about patience and making mountains out of molehills. It's only been a couple of weeks, the four of them had a great time when they went out for a meal, and when they cross paths at work it's fine.

It doesn't make Gill hate it any less how the second they're alone together, it all feels wrong.

Eventually she gives in, having lost track of the movie completely and being fairly certain Kate has too. She pauses the DVD and does her best to smile when Kate turns toward her. Kate's expression is startled and worried and - although she's trying to hide it - sad.

"I think we should talk, Kate."

Kate hunches her shoulders and looks away again.

"I didn't mean-" Gill sighs. Even for a supposed expert in truth and lies, sometimes it's really hard to find the right words. "I mean... I don't want it to be awkward. I'm sorry I kissed you, it was stupid. I wasn't thinking."

Kate shoots a little glance at her, a little slightly pinched smile. "It's okay." She shakes her head. "I wanted you to, to be honest. And I feel really bad because I shouldn't want that."

Gill swallows. She feels relief and fear alike - relief it's not just her, fear for what this means for them both. Because this could get complicated really fast. At the moment they're all very happy; she wants to keep hold of that, wants them all to remain friends and continue working together. Quite how her and Kate wanting to kiss fits into this picture, she doesn't know. She decides to wait and listen before she tries to make sense out loud of her own thoughts and feelings.

"I mean... it's not that I don't want to be with Gibbs, he makes me-" Kate closes her eyes for a moment and a smile appears that makes Gillian certain she was a hundred percent correct in her evaluation of Gibbs as a lover, and she has to hide her own smile in her hand. She's not sure Kate would want to know how starkly she's broadcasting her intense... well, Gill will label it simply 'satisfaction', just to be polite.

"And I'm happy." Kate hardly needs to say it - it's obvious. She's basically glowing, and it's exceptionally sweet. "I'm stupid happy, you know? Happier than I've been in years. I love him. More than I even knew I did." She laughs softly. Then her smile fades and her confusion comes rushing back when she looks at Gill again. "I just... I never thought I'd miss being with you so much."

Gill shakes her head, takes a deep breath. Time to repay Kate's honesty with some of her own. "Is it really horrible of me to be incredibly glad you feel the same way?"

Kate stares at her for a second, open mouthed, then slowly smiles, her shoulders dropping from up around her ears, her relief palpable. "Oh God, really?" Gill nods. "Oh, God. Well... It makes me feel better about it, so I suppose if you're horrible, so am I."

That makes Gill laugh, which in turn makes Kate laugh, and it's even more of a relief to realise they can still laugh together.

"I thought it was just me." Kate shakes her head. "You always seem so together and level-headed, and I thought I was just being... I don't know, silly or something."

Gill reaches across to grab Kate's hand, needing to bridge the space between them. "No, not just you. And I feel like an idiot too, because Cal and I have been dancing around each other for so long now, and it took us  _so long_  to figure things out and finally be happy, and here I am getting all out of sorts because I can kiss him whenever I like but I can't kiss you." She pulls a face. "You know, it's their fault," she says, putting on a deliberately petulant voice. "If they hadn't been so completely useless for so long, we never would've kissed, never mind slept together."

Kate laughs again, then her expression turns thoughtful. "I'm kind of grateful too, you know. I mean-" she worries at her lip, and her cheeks go a little pink "-I suppose, if Gibbs weren't so stubborn and we'd gotten together sooner, I wouldn't know to miss it, but I'm glad I got to - that we got to... you know." She shrugs, embarrassed. "If I could go back and do it all again, well..."

"You'd still do me?"

Kate goes even pinker, but she nods. "Yes."

"I'd do you, too," says Gill, which makes Kate blush harder and grin shyly. "Even if it never happens again, I'm glad it did." She gives Kate's hand a squeeze. "And hey, it could," she says, with a mischievous wink. "They probably wouldn't even mind as long as we let them watch."

Kate bursts out laughing at that. "You are  _bad_." Then, after a pause, "You know, you're probably right, too. If we ever get really desperate..."

Gill can't help grinning at the unexpected reprise of a conversation they had so many times when they were both single. They considered some fairly extreme measures to finally make Gibbs and Cal get the message, after all. "We really are terrible, aren't we?" she asks, but this time she's able to laugh about it.

"I can live with it if you can." Kate sighs. "I just wish it was easier. Why does life have to be so complicated?"

"I guess you get used to being a certain way around someone and it's weird to go back, to not kiss you 'hello' and things like that."

"We'll get used to it, right? I mean..." Kate looks both worried and hopeful. "I mean, you're the doc, Doc, as Gibbs'd say. You must've seen people figure this stuff out. Because sure, I miss kissing you all over, but it's not worth losing your friendship."

Gill swallows. She tries not to get distracted by the image of Kate kissing her all over. She's pretty sure Kate didn't mean for it to make her head go fuzzy. "It usually depends on how strong the friendship was to start with, so I think we have a good foundation. It probably helps we were both in the same place; you know, waiting on our idiot men to remove their heads from their asses."

Kate laughs again. "You have a point."

"And at least now we know we're both in the same boat again. I'm glad I know you're not going to shoot me if I forget and kiss you again."

Kate gives her a wry grin. "I definitely won't shoot you. I might accidentally kiss you right back, because I'm only human, but I promise I won't get violent." Her mouth twitches into a wider smile; her eyes are still a bit sad, but they're also warm and alight with the friendship and humour that were missing earlier. "Do try not to do it too often, though, okay? You're way too good at it."

Gill laughs. "I promise I'll do my best." She finally gives in to the urge she's been struggling with all evening. "You know, no sex and no kissing I can deal with, but no snuggling just sucks." She pulls Kate over to her side of the couch and tugs her close. "I'm making a unilateral decision here, and if the guys don't like it, well, they'll just have to learn to live with it."

Kate momentarily stiffens in surprise, but then sinks into the embrace, resting her cheek against Gill's breast and wrapping her arm around Gill's waist. She sighs, sounding content. "You know, you're right, the boys will just have to deal." She lets out another big sigh and relaxes completely, her laughter warm and satisfied. "Oh, I missed this. I missed you."

"Me too." Gill feels the knot of tension in her stomach unwind as she smooths a hand over Kate's hair, and although she's still not sure she's going to pay it much attention, she puts the DVD back on and settles down, and feels better than she has all evening.

It might take them a while to get to grips with this, to get used to being 'just' friends again, but the friendship is worth fighting for, no matter how much she misses it being more.

Kate is so much more to her than just a friend or just a lover. Gill's been nervous, more nervous than she'd consciously realised, about how their relationship was going to survive the radical rewriting of boundaries. It's a huge weight off her mind to realise it's not just her who's worried, not just her who's willing to do whatever is necessary to figure this out. It's going to take more than good intentions, but she's willing to make the effort; she cares about Kate far too much to give it anything but her absolute best. She has to believe it'll work.

And hey, snuggling, well... snuggling is always enjoyable.

They don't move when the film finishes, and Gill's perfectly happy to close her eyes and rest her cheek against the top of Kate's head. She doesn't mean to fall asleep, but the next thing she's aware of is knuckles gently stroking her cheek.

"Wakey wakey, love. Time to give Kate back to Gibbs."

She blinks muzzily, and it belatedly occurs to her to worry exactly how Cal and Jethro will react to finding their girlfriends wrapped in each other's arms and napping contentedly, Kate's face buried in Gill's cleavage, but when she looks up, all she sees is fondness and affection (and maybe a little amusement) on both their faces. She nudges Kate awake, and sees her own concern then relief reflected in Kate's expression.

Kate's eyes are still sleepy and bleary, like she's doing her very best koala bear impression. Gibbs chuckles and gathers her up, dropping a soft kiss on Gill's forehead before standing again. Kate curls into his chest, one arm twining automatically around his neck and her head tucked under his chin. Gill grins at how adorable they are together.

"Thanks f'lookin' after her," he murmurs with a warm smile, then he nods a goodbye to Cal and leaves them to it.

They listen to the car pull away, and Cal sits beside her, pauses for a second, then shrugs and nuzzles down into the vacancy Kate left open. Gillian giggles as he heaves a contented sigh and burrows in closer.

"I'll keep 'em warm for ya."

She scritches her fingers up the back of his head, strokes the rough line of his stubbly chin. "You're too kind." She pauses, unsure how to ask but needing to put her mind at ease. "You okay with-? I mean, nothing happened, we just..."

He shakes his head. "'S fine, Gill. Trust ya." His voice is happy and sleepy, and he shrugs the shoulder that isn't wedged into her body. "Can't blame Kate for wantin' t'snuggle, either. You're very..." She can feel his smile through her top and in the way his facial muscles move under her hands. "You're very snuggly. And comfy." Another shrug. "I don't mind sharing your boobs now and then with someone who prop'ly appreciates 'em."

She giggles again. It's a very Cal perspective on the whole thing.

"For what it's worth, I don't mind if you decide to snuggle with Gibbs, too," she offers, then snickers at the noise he makes.

"Wicked,  _wicked_  woman, you are." Despite his protest, she can tell he's grinning again. She smirks. She sort of wonders, sometimes, if Cal even realises just how much he likes Gibbs, but humorous goading aside, she's come to the conclusion she should leave him to figure that out for himself.

In the meantime, they're all happy, she and Kate are okay, and a load has been lifted. She's glad of it. She'll sleep much better tonight.

She rubs Cal's scalp again and drops a kiss on his hair, and it takes her even less time to fall asleep on him than it did on Kate.

_~ fin ~_

**Author's Note:**

> I'm still organising this section of this verse, so stories may be posted out of chronological order.
> 
> This story in particular affects several later stories, so in theory, I might get the next few posted a little faster now this one is finally done... but please don't yell at me if I'm still a slowpoke, I promise I'm trying my best ;)


End file.
